Google Earth Files

Download Rocks From Above:
State Maps

State Geologic Maps from USGS in KML/KMZ format. Very big files, but very useful. If you download the KML versions, they load faster in Google Earth than the KMZ versions.

United States

Topograhy - USGS Topo Map Overlay for U.S. You have to zoom in pretty far to get detail, but a great resource.

Physiographic Provinces - USGS Map of Physiographic Provinces of the U.S. in shapefile format (you can convert them to KML format, or download the KML or KMZ here.)

Geologic Map of Conterminous United States - in KMZ format!

Gravity Anomaly Map of U.S. (isostatic residual gravity anomalies) from San Diego State's KML Geology

Gravity Anomaly Map of U.S. (Bouguer gravity anomalies) from San Diego State's KML Geology

Magnetic Anomaly Map of U.S. from San Diego State's KML Geology

Terrestrial Gamma Radiation Map of U.S. from San Diego State's KML Geology

Active Mines in the U.S. from the USGS

Whole Earth

Gravity Anomaly Map of Earth from San Diego State's KML Geology

Magnetic Anomaly Map of Earth from San Diego State's KML Geology

Global Hotspots and Thermal Anomalies from San Diego State's KML Geology

Age of World's Ocean Floors
from San Diego State's KML Geology

Earth's Tectonic Plates
from San Diego State's KML Geology

Real Time Earthquakes from USGS {more earthquake KMLs}

Volcanoes (active in Holocene)
from Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

Paleogeology - The positions of the continents in the past from San Diego State

Handy Tools:

KML Geology: Using Google in Geology. A site by San Diego State University with mostly California related KML files, but also some global/national files.

Converting SHP files to KML. The GDAL/OGR program described in this blog converts shapefiles (from, say, ArcGIS or ENVI) into Google-Earth-readable KML files! Hurray!
For those who need some help:
  1. Download GDAL/OGR (all platforms, or just Windows)
  2. Unzip the downloaded file
  3. Copy the shapefiles to be converted (including the DBF, SHX, and SHP files)
  4. Paste the shapefiles into the 'bin' folder you just unzipped (so: \gdalwin32-1.6\bin for example)
  5. Open a command line (Start > Run > 'cmd')
  6. cd to the bin directory (e.g., 'cd Y:\working\My_Docs\gdalwin32-1.6\bin')
  7. Type: ogr2ogr -f KML mypoints.kml sbpoints.shp sbpoints (substituting your shapefile name for 'sbpoints.shp' and 'sbpoints')
  8. Done! A kml called 'mypoints.kml' should appear in the gdalwin32-1.6\bin directory.

Google Earth for Earth Sciences

Awesome Websites

SDSU KML Geology: here or here
Geology Home Companion Blog
Magma Cum Laude Blog
Google Earth Blog
3D Geologic Maps
Geomorphology from Space
University of Washington's EPIC Collection
Earth Science World's Image Bank